Synopses & Reviews
Orchids are one of the most fascinating plant families to grow. With their tremendous variety of sizes, colors, shapes, habits, and fragrances, orchids offer the opportunity of unparalleled pleasure and excitement to the plant enthusiast. This book shows you how to produce flowering orchids in your home with the modern methods that are already enabling thousands of people to cultivate orchids successfully in their living rooms, sun porches, basements, and elsewhere.
It is easier to grow orchids now than it has ever been, and you don't need a greenhouse to do it. Thoroughly revised and brought completely up to date, this book explains the basic needs of orchids and shows you the three common methods of growing them in the house—in a window, in a case, and under artificial light. It goes on to describe cattleyas and many other fascinating kinds of orchids that do well as house plants, including what they each need in the way of temperature, light, humidity, and other requirements. Finally, the concluding chapters present information on potting mature plants, caring for seedling, and treating ailments and problems. 63 photos and line drawings illustrate flowers and growing techniques.
If you are intrigued by the prospect of growing orchids as house plants or you already have one or two flowering on your windowsill, this book will enable you to pursue your interest confidently and knowledgeably. It covers a wide range of techniques and types of orchids, and can even be adapted to greenhouse work. With the right information at your fingertips, you can grow orchids at home with surprising ease.
Synopsis
Grow cattleyas and many other kinds of orchids in a window or under artificial light. 63 illustrations.
Table of Contents
I ORCHIDS AS HOUSE PLANTS
II ORCHID PLANTS AND THEIR NEEDS
III WINDOWS AND CASES
Windows
Orchid Cases
Enclosures for Small Plants
Summering Out
IV GROWING WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Light Carts
Basement
Growing Areas
Day Length
V CATTLEYAS
VI OTHER KINDS TO GROW
"Epidendrum, Encyclia, Laelia, Sophronitis, Brassavola"
"Oncidium, Odontoglossum, Brassia, Miltonia"
Dendrobium
Cymbidium
VII MORE KINDS TO GROW
Paphiopedilum
Catasetum and Cycnoches
Masdevallia
"Phalaenopsis, Vanda, Ascocentrum, and Other Monopodials"
Other Genera
VIII POTTING MATURE PLANTS
Dividing Plants
Potting Equipment
Potting
Cork-Bark and Tree-Fern Slabs
IX CARE OF SEEDLINGS
Community Pots
Individual Pots
Ready to Flower
X AILMENTS AND PROBLEMS
Temperature and Day Length
Failure to Flower and Poor Flower
Substance
"Sepal Wilt, Freaks, Yellow Leaves, Light Burn"
Diseases
Pest Control
INDEX